Catholic History Trek

Although the Pilgrims were definitely  not Catholic, there was at least one Catholic at the First Thanksgiving: the native guide and interpreter Squanto. Scott and Kevin examine the historical background of Thanksgiving, especially the Catholic side of the story.

Scott and Kevin converse about “the pope’s army,” the 500-year old military unit that guards the gates of the Vatican. Looking for a deep  dive into Swiss Guard weaponry? Scott has it covered.

Dracula: Blood sucking vampire? Impaler? Battler of Ottoman Turks? Catholic? Scott sorts out fact from fiction and uncovers the troubled history of Vlad of Wallachia, and how he became Dracula of popular culture.

The phrase “Italy invaded Rome” may sound nonsensical, but it happened in the 1870 — and the millennium-long existence of the papal states came to an end. Kevin and Scott survey the history of the pope’s territories over the course of twenty centuries, ending up at the world’s smallest nation, Vatican City.

Aaaarrr, thar be pirates! For centuries, Muslim pirates enslaved millions of European Christians along the Mediterranean Sea. A 13th century apparition of the Blessed Virgin to a Dominican, a king, and nobleman prompted the establishment of a religious community to ransom these enslaved Christians.

Scott and Kevin tell the story of St. Francis of Assisi and the founding and growth of one of the Church’s most prolific religious orders. They meet a lot of other saints along the way, as they travel through the centuries and across the world, from medieval China, to colonial Spanish America, to twentieth-century Poland.  Bonus material includes our hosts’ personal Franciscan connections and...

Almost 500 years ago, the month of October was shortened by ten days — by order of the pope. He was Gregory XIII, and we’ve been using the  “Gregorian" calendar ever since.

Cappuccino and croissants, champagne and king cake, pierogis and Dom Perignon. Scott and Kevin take a toothsome trek through the entwined histories of Catholicism and some popular foods and beverages.

Kevin and Scott dive back into the sixteenth century to explore the creation and development of an obscure but influential religious order: the Clerics Regular, or Theatines. Scott reveals that brown isn’t the only option when it comes to scapulars.

Soul of Christ, sanctify me. In this episode Scott explores the history of the Anima Christi prayer, often wrongly attributed to St Ignatius of Loyola. Along the way he discusses a 14-year-old bishop, anti-popes, and provides a surprise ending. (“Catholic Prayers” series, no. 2, Anima Christi)

Recounting the history of the Catholic Eucharistic liturgy is a massive task, but Scott and Kevin dust off their missals and do their best to get it rite, trekking from Justin Martyr to Pius V to Paul VI and beyond.

Is the Santo Anello, housed in Perugia, Italy the wedding ring given by St Joseph to the Blessed Virgin Mary? In this episode Scott treks thru thefts, unpopular paintings, and mystical visions to uncover this history of the Santo Anello, or "Holy Ring".

From the Easter Vigil to excommunication, you can find candles burning brightly throughout the history and liturgies of the Catholic Church. In this episode — composed of at least 51 percent beeswax — Scott and Kevin shed some light on the Church’s candle-using traditions.

“What you are, I once was. What I am, you will be.” Scott investigates Blessed Giovanni Giovenale Ancina and his connection to the peculiar tradition of saints who kept human skulls in the Catholic spiritual practice of Memento Mori. Along the way, St Philip Neri makes an appearance, as does a fresco that was lost for centuries.

From the Revolution to the Know Nothings, from Bible riots to Amy Coney Barrett, Scott and Kevin trace anti-Catholicism through its long and disreputable career as a major player in the history of the United  States.

Kevin describes the historical background of these responsory prayers, “multifaceted gems” of Catholic spirituality.

We know the pope as the Successor of Peter, the Supreme Pontiff, and the Holy Father. But as a Leader of Armies? In this episode Scott presents a history of various military units which have served under the papacy.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus is everywhere in today’s Catholic world, but it wasn’t always so. Scott and Kevin explore the background and development of this popular devotion, including the pivotal role of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. And Scott outdoes himself with not one, but two, train references.

Scott seeks out the history of the elusive anchorites and stylites, the Christian ascetics who went to great extremes to achieve solitude and seek a closer union with God.

The plot thickens as Scott and Kevin tread carefully through the explosive history of the conspiracy to assassinate King James I and its long lasting aftermath. The failed scheme of Guy Fawkes and his accomplices provoked anti-Catholic measures, implicated priests, and created a new English holiday.

Kevin and Scott explicate the connection between the papacy and higher education, focusing on the development of a unique institution: the pontifical university.

Shrine, basilica, cathedral - what's the difference? Kevin goes deep into the terminological weeds to sort thru the various titles for places of worship. Put on your cappa magna and join the expedition into the history and customs of Catholic nomenclature.

Scott provides a "front row seat" to the history of seating in churches, and highlights a time when pews were rented.

Scott covers Eucharistic devotion in France which grew into the International Eucharistic Congresses. The 28th such congress, which drew nearly one million Eucharistic pilgrims to Chicago, Illinois, is highlighted.

Kevin and Scott hit a few highlights in the history of one of the Church’s most illustrious religious orders, the Society of Jesus. In perhaps the oddest reference ever made on Catholic History Trek, Scott invokes the pop singer Toni Basil to introduce the Martyrs of Nagasaki.